The Surfy Industries SurfyBear Metal is a spring reverb pedal that uses genuine springs, built around an exclusive SurfyPan EXTRA type-4 spring reverb pan made by Accutronics and Surfy Industries. It is aimed at players chasing the outboard spring reverb sound of the 1960s: the Fender 6G15, which Surfy Industries describes as one of the first reverb units available for electric guitars, and which press sources call the sound of surf music, spaghetti western and many other great guitar sounds from that era1234.
A spring reverb pedal with real springs
Most reverb pedals simulate a spring tank with digital processing. The SurfyBear Metal does not: it is a real spring pedal, with an actual reverb pan inside an aluminum body. Surfy Industries describes the enclosure as an aluminum body with removable feet on the bottom side for better positioning on pedalboards1. That Pedal Show, in a comparison of what they called "some of the leading reverb pedals that use genuine springs," treated the SurfyBear Metal as exactly that kind of unit5.
Because the springs are real, the pedal behaves the way a tank reverb behaves: the Dwell control drives the springs harder, and the pan itself contributes the character. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio wrote that the pedal "replicates the tones of vintage reverb pans with great accuracy, and it's considered by many as the best recreation of a" Fender 6G152.
"replicates the tones of vintage reverb pans with great accuracy, and it's considered by many as the best recreation of a"
Surfy Industries positions the SurfyBear Metal as a real spring pedal "that replicates the tones of vintage reverb pans with great accuracy"2, and the company notes that it is "considered by many as the best recreation of a Fender 6g15"2. In the company's own comparison of "some of the leading reverb pedals that use genuine springs," the Metal is presented among pedals built around real springs rather than digital emulation5.
The controls
The controls follow the layout of the original Fender 6G15, according to Delicious Audio, with a mixer section added for setting the reverb level against the dry signal2.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Dwell | The amount of effect; sets the amount of signal sent to the springs, causing a more intense reverberation that builds up faster at higher settings2 |
| Tone | How bright or dark the sound is2 |
| Mixer | The balance between "dry" and "wet" signals2 |
| Mix knob | To perfectly set the amount of reverb2 |
| Volume | The level of the output signal2 |
The Dwell knob is the one that shapes the character most. As Delicious Audio explains, it "sets the amount of signal sent to the springs, causing a more intense reverberation that builds up faster" as it is turned up2. Players familiar with a Fender-style outboard reverb will recognize the arrangement: Dwell and Tone shape what happens in the pan, while the mixer and volume controls set how much of it you hear.
A Fender 6G15 recreation
The pedal's circuit is based on the Fender 6G15, the standalone outboard spring reverb unit that Surfy Industries calls one of the first reverb units available for electric guitars13. Press sources describe the 6G15 as the sound of surf guitar, spaghetti western and many other great guitar sounds from the sixties64. For a player, that means the SurfyBear Metal is built to put that specific circuit, with its real spring tank, on a pedalboard. You can read more about the original on the Fender 6G15 page, or browse other options on the Reverb Pedals type page.
Size, bypass and the footswitch jack
This is a large pedal, and the dimensions matter for planning a board. Surfy Industries lists it at 440 X 170 X 80 mm, or 17.5 X 6.5 X 3 inches1. Delicious Audio makes the same point plainly: "At 17.5″ in width, this is no small device"2.
The SurfyBear Metal offers true bypass functionality to keep your signal intact when the effect is off, according to Surfy Industries1.
For hands-free operation, Delicious Audio notes an external footswitch possibility through the dedicated 1/4 inch jack, with the footswitch not included, so a switch must be supplied separately2.
The Surfybear family
The SurfyBear Metal's circuit is based on the Fender 6G15, the vintage outboard spring reverb unit, and Surfy Industries says it is "considered by many as the best recreation of a Fender 6g15"2. The company documents the pedal in its official manual, available as a download from the Surfy Industries website1.
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Questions
Is the Surfy Industries SurfyBear Metal true bypass?
Yes. Surfy Industries specifies true bypass functionality to keep your signal intact when the effect is off, and Delicious Audio's product page describes the same true bypass feature on the Surfybear Metal.
Does the SurfyBear Metal use real springs?
It does. The SurfyBear Metal is a real spring reverb pedal built around the exclusive SurfyPan EXTRA type-4 spring reverb pan, made by Accutronics and Surfy Industries. That Pedal Show included it in a comparison of leading reverb pedals that use genuine springs.
What does the Dwell knob do on the SurfyBear Metal?
According to Delicious Audio, the Dwell knob sets the amount of signal sent to the springs, causing a more intense reverberation that builds up faster at higher settings.
Can you add an external footswitch to the SurfyBear Metal?
Yes. Delicious Audio notes an external footswitch possibility through a dedicated 1/4 inch jack, but a footswitch is not included with the pedal.
What is the difference between the SurfyBear Metal and the Surfybear Compact?
The Surfybear Compact is the SurfyBear Metal's smaller sibling model. Delicious Audio suggests that guitarists with space problems may want to look into the Compact, which is smaller but by no means small.
How big is the SurfyBear Metal?
Surfy Industries lists the SurfyBear Metal at 440 X 170 X 80 mm, which is 17.5 X 6.5 X 3 inches. At 17.5 inches in width, as Delicious Audio puts it, this is no small device.
Sources (6)
- Surfy Industries, Surfy Industries
- Surfy Industries Surfybear Metal, Delicious Audio, 2023-01-06
- Surfy Industries, Surfy Industries
- Catalinbread Topanga II: More verb, more surf, more spaghetti, gearnews.com, 2019-08-22
- Best Spring Reverb Pedals? Surfy Bear, White Whale, Light Pedal, Headroom, Ana Sounds, That Pedal Show, 2022-12-30
- Catalinbread Topanga Spring Reverb, Delicious Audio, 2018-03-04
